Emergencies

IRAQ REFUGEE CRISIS

1.2 million

Nearly 1.2 million Iraqis continue to be internally displaced, and the country hosts more than 280,000 refugees from other countries (as of April 2023).

3 million

3 million Iraqis are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, including 1 million people who are in acute need of assistance (as of 2023).

5 million

While nearly 5 million former IDPs have returned, these returnees live in substandard living conditions and require assistance and support to meet basic needs (as of April 2023).

About the Crisis in Iraq

After decades of conflict and widespread violence in Iraq, nearly 1.2 million Iraqis continue to be internally displaced. 90 percent of the displaced population have not been able to return home for over 3 years, and 70 percent have been displaced for more than 5 years. While IDP returnees consistently outnumber those who are internally displaced, many struggle to reintegrate and still require humanitarian assistance.

Although armed violence has declined in some parts of the country, armed groups and small scale military operations continue to carry out unpredictable attacks throughout the country, resulting in new displacements.

It is estimated that 3 million Iraqis are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, including 1 million people who are in acute need of assistance. Of the nearly 260,000 displaced Syrian refugees living in Iraq, 86 percent live in camps and remain food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity.

Millions of families living in protracted displacement situations are reaching breaking point. They have exhausted their financial resources over the years and continue to face constrained access to basic services and critical protection risks. They are in desperate need of life-saving aid.

The UN Refugee Agency is on the ground in Iraq and surrounding regions, working to protect and provide emergency relief efforts to refugees and internally-displaced people (IDPs). Together with partners and government authorities, UNHCR undertakes the following activities:

Protection of Refugees, IDPs and Returnees: includes activities related to registration, legal and psychosocial support, prevention and response to SGBV and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), child protection, reunification of separated families and monitoring of safe, voluntary and dignified returns.
Shelter and Basic Needs: UNHCR assists vulnerable families with their most basic needs, including shelter, cash assistance and core relief items (tents, mattresses, plastic sheeting, kitchen sets, buckets and other essentials).
Camp Coordination and Management: in camps, UNHCR works to ensure adequate shelter, delivery of food and water, presence of education and health facilities and capacity building for stakeholders.
Supporting Education: UNHCR has enrolled 90 percent of Iraqi children grades 1-4 in public school and recruited hundreds of teachers. UNHCR is also providing cash assistance to defray transportation costs and offering transitory/remedial classes.

More Facts

More than 173,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) are living in 26 formal camp locations in Iraq and more than 983,000 IDPs live in urban settings.
In 2022, there were 32,000 new asylum application claims from Iraq.
Nearly 1 million women and children are at risk of gender based violence (GBV).

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Emergencies

About the Crisis in Iraq

How to Help in Iraq

What is UNHCR doing to help in Iraq?

More Facts About the Crisis in Iraq

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Stories from the Iraq Refugee Crisis

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